In histology, thin sections generated from tissue samples are mounted onto specimen slides. The thin sections mounted onto the specimen slides are then usually treated, for example stained and/or dewatered. The thin section is then covered with a coverslip in order to protect the thin sections. Prior to mounting of the coverslip, a mounting medium, by way of which the coverslip adheres to the specimen slide, is first applied. The coverslipped specimen slides are then delivered to a microscope.
A problem with known apparatuses for coverslipping thin sections arranged on specimen slides is that the coverslipped specimen slides must be handled very carefully, since upon removal of the specimen slides from the coverslipping module, the mounting medium has not yet dried and the coverslip can therefore slip off if the specimen slides are not held horizontally. The thin section can thereby be damaged. It is likewise possible for the coverslip, as a result of slippage, to protrude laterally beyond the specimen slide, so that a person handling the specimen slide can easily cut him- or herself thereon. This is problematic in particular when handling contaminated thin sections, since the operator is thus exposed to a risk of infection.
The document US 2009/0110597 A1 discloses an apparatus for handling specimen slides that encompasses a coverslipping module, a drying unit, and an output unit for outputting the coverslipped and dried specimen slides. Here the specimen slides are dried while they are being individually transported through the drying unit to the output unit, and are deposited individually in the output unit.
Further apparatuses and methods for coverslipping specimen slides are known from the documents US 2007/0172911 A1 and US 2006/0231023 A1.
The documents DE 101 44 989 A1 and DE 41 17 833 A1 describe stainers, for staining tissue samples arranged on specimen slides, that encompass a drawer for delivering and/or removing the specimen slides.